HINDS COUNTY, Miss.—When Asheena Woods was a teenager navigating the juvenile justice system in Hattiesburg, she struggled with detention, unstable living arrangements and a lack of guidance, but she credits one social worker with helping her through some of her most difficult years. 

“Ms. Brenda, she was my saving grace,” Woods said. “She was one of the best social workers God could have blessed me with.” 

That kind of individualized support is at the center of an effort in Hinds County to change how young people experience juvenile probation, shifting the focus from monitoring court compliance to addressing the underlying problems contributing to delinquent behavior. 

Asheena Woods smiles at the camera while wearing a black dress and white lab coat, with her hands clasped in front of her against a white background.
Asheena Woods, who spent time in juvenile detention as a teenager, believes providing young people with more opportunities can encourage positive change. Photo courtesy Asheena Woods

Under the proposed approach, Division of Youth Services counselors would participate in family roundtables to identify behavioral challenges and connect young people with support services before seeking detention for additional violations. 

Hinds County Youth Court Judge Carlyn Hicks said the goal is to move from a probation model focused on monitoring mistakes to one that helps young people succeed. 

“We want to shift from a model that is more of a referee type of probation model to a coaching type of probation model,” Hicks said. 

The changes are part of the Transforming Juvenile Probation initiative, a yearlong effort supported by technical assistance from the Georgetown University Center for Youth Justice and the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Currently, DYS counselors supervise young people placed on probation, monitoring compliance with court orders and additional infractions. When behavioral problems arise, counselors may request a detention review or hold. 

Carlyn Hicks smiles at the camera while wearing a black judicial robe with a white collar and gold circular clasp against a dark blue background.
Hinds County Youth Court Judge Carlyn Hicks says a proposed family engagement model would require Division of Youth Services counselors to meet with families to address behavioral challenges before seeking detention for additional violations. Photo courtesy Carlyn Hicks

Hicks said the proposed family engagement model would require counselors to first examine what may be causing those behaviors and whether additional services could help. 

“They’re going to now have a family engagement model where they’re going to be required to engage in family roundtables to identify what may be the root cause of this new behavior,” Hicks said. 

For Woods, who spent time in juvenile detention and other facilities in the Hattiesburg area, consistent support made a difference. She said social worker Brenda Booth helped her navigate difficult family circumstances and eventually transition to independent living. 

Woods now owns Art Barber and Beauty College in Hattiesburg and participates in community outreach, including back-to-school drives and providing free haircuts. 

Although her experience occurred outside Hinds County, she believes young people involved in the juvenile justice system need opportunities and guidance to change their circumstances. 

LaKeisha Bryant-Hall, director of the Forrest County Juvenile Detention Center, said many children entering detention have experienced trauma that has not been addressed. 

“There’s some underlying trauma that has been experienced, and most of the time, it’s trauma that has never been dealt with from the mental health side,” Bryant-Hall said. 

LaKeisha Bryant-Hall smiles at the camera while wearing a red blazer and matching top, a pearl necklace and pearl earrings against a gray background.
LaKeisha Bryant-Hall, director of the Forrest County Juvenile Detention Center, says the facility provides educational programming, mental health services and mentorship. Some staff members also maintain contact with young people after their release. Photo courtesy LaKeisha Bryant-Hall

Her facility provides educational programming, mental health services and mentorship through partnerships with schools and community organizations. Bryant-Hall said staff members also maintain relationships with some young people after their release, helping them complete community service and supporting their school activities. 

Hicks said the Hinds County initiative is intended to strengthen similar connections among counselors, families and community organizations. 

The next phase includes training DYS counselors and community partners in family engagement and preparing to implement the roundtable model. The effort is expected to continue over approximately one year. 

Hicks said there are no plans for statewide implementation, although she hopes the approach could eventually influence juvenile probation practices elsewhere in Mississippi. 

For Woods, the importance of giving young people opportunities to change is personal. 

“I believe in my heart that if a person wants and is willing to change, they will,” Woods said. “But they have to be given an opportunity because nobody gave me an opportunity.” 

This article first appeared on RHCJC and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Read more stories from the Capital Bureau here.

Allyson Cole, a native of Madison, Mississippi, is a senior at Mississippi State University studying Communication & Media Studies with a minor in Social Justice Studies. She also studied at Holmes Community College and was awarded her Associate of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. She is currently interning at the RHCJC.

Gaven Wallace. who has been freelancing with the Mississippi Free Press since 2022, is now a full-time reporter with the Roy Howard Community Journalism Center. Based in Hattiesburg, Miss., he is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a Masters of the Arts in creative writing. During his undergraduate career, he earned the O’Hara-Mackaman Endowment for fiction writing. His work can be found in journals such as Sky Island Journal and West Trade Review. He especially enjoys reading contemporary fiction and poetry with an eye for the postmodern, such as the works of Jennifer Eagan and David Mitchell.

The Roy Howard Community Journalism Center, housed at The University of Southern Mississippi, is dedicated to enhancing the media landscape in southeast Mississippi by prioritizing impactful, issue-oriented, and people-centered reporting.

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